If I click my heels three times, do you think I can go back to Kansas? I would do it in a heartbeat, especially to “The Little Apple” AKA Manhattan, Kansas, site of the National Festival of Breads contest sponsored by the Kansas Wheat Commission, King Arthur Flour, and Fleischmann’s Yeast. All involved in this contest […]

Hi everyone! It seems like I have been gone for a month and it’s only been a couple of weeks. I have gone from the wheat fields of Kansas to the sweltering heat of Los Angeles. Actually, I am still in LA, but headed home soon. I have so many stories and photos that it will […]

I have an exciting couple of weeks ahead! I’ll be leaving this week for Kansas (hopefully no tornadoes or wicked witches) where I am meeting up with my daughter Kristina for the National Festival of Breads, a cooking contest sponsored by the Kansas Wheat Commission, King Arthur Flour, and Fleishmann’s Yeast. Kristina, owner of Cooking Contest Central, was […]

The James Beard Foundation was founded in 1986, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the culinary world who would not love to win this medal, which is equivalent to winning an Academy Award Oscar. The foundation is dedicated to celebrating and preserving America’s culinary heritage and future. James Beard was a cookbook […]

Why I Started This Blog

I love cookbooks. I mean I really love them. I love to read them, treasure them, learn from them, and, of course, cook from them. To me, cookbooks take on a life all of their own. They are history, family, and memories. I have been collecting cookbooks and writing down treasured recipes of family, friends, and neighbors since about age twelve, which means I now own thousands of cookbooks, recipes, and clippings. Now I want to share them with you along with the many other culinary treasures of my cellar." - Debbie Vanni